
Why leaders should learn to value the boundary spanners
Entrepreneurial talent who work with other teams often run into trouble with their managers. Here are ways to get the most out of your âboundary spannersâ...
by Michael R. Wade Published April 4, 2025 in Brain Circuits ⢠3 min read
Creating objectives that take people out of their comfort zones is vital to drive transformation at scale.
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Just as a team will only win the relay if they can pass the baton smoothly, successful transformation depends on breaking down silos between individual departments or business units.
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Giving responsibility and ownership to specific people across the organization for driving, maintaining, and updating the digital platform is another vital component of success.
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Generally, organizations want to grow their revenues while keeping a lid on costs â but this objective might seem contradictory, since growing the topline often involves burning through resources; hence you need to allow for contradictory organizational objectives.
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Collaboration between departments isnât just optional or beneficial: itâs essential for achieving the overall goal, so departmental objectives should âoverlapâ with those of other departments.
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Because it is not possible (or, indeed, desirable) for one department to achieve these organizational objectives alone, you need to create âa common destinyâ so that they all work towards the achievement of company-wide goals.
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To drive transformation at scale, you need to push departments outside of their traditional comfort zones. This helps create a form of disequilibrium, enabling them to transform the organization in a way that they canât if everyone acts independently and in an autonomous way.
TONOMUS Professor of Strategy and Digital
Michael R Wade is TONOMUS Professor of Strategy and Digital at IMD and Director of the TONOMUS Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation. He directs a number of open programs such as Leading Digital and AI Transformation, Digital Transformation for Boards, Leading Digital Execution, Digital Transformation Sprint, Digital Transformation in Practice, Business Creativity and Innovation Sprint. He has written 10 books, hundreds of articles, and hosted popular management podcasts including Mike & Amit Talk Tech. In 2021, he was inducted into the Swiss Digital Shapers Hall of Fame.
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